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Face Shape Guide

Compare the forehead, cheekbones, jaw and face length. See all six shapes, including the ones that are easy to confuse.

Start with the widest part of your face, then compare length and the turn of your jaw. A pointed chin alone does not make a heart shape, and full cheeks alone do not make a round face. Use the same features to compare all six outlines below.

Four things to check in a front-facing photo

  1. Choose the photo. Move hair away from the sides, keep the camera around eye level and relax your expression. Skip very close wide-angle selfies, obvious head turns and face-reshaping filters. Do not count hair height as face length.
  2. Find the widest area. Compare the forehead, the outer cheekbones and the sides of the jaw in the same image. Compare straight distances in that photo, rather than wrapping a tape around the curves of your face.
  3. Check length and corners. Notice whether height is much more prominent than width, then look for a rounded taper or clear jaw corners. A manual hairline-to-chin measurement is not identical to the model’s landmark-based face height.
  4. Write down the features. For example: “widest at the cheekbones, narrower jaw, fairly long.” That is already useful for choosing a haircut. Compare a second evenly lit front-facing photo before settling on a category.
FIG. 01An illustration, not a measurement standard
Reading the outline

Oval

A softly tapered outline, with a little more length than width. The forehead is usually wider than the jaw, and the transition toward the chin is gradual.

  • 01Length slightly exceeds width
  • 02A softly rounded jaw
  • 03Gradually tapered chin
A styling thought

Explore a range of lengths and textures. Let your hair texture and personal taste lead the way.

What is it easy to confuse with?

Compare it with oblong: both can have a rounded jaw. If the length stands out much more than the width, oblong may describe the outline better. Oval does not mean ideal or perfectly balanced.

FIG. 02An illustration, not a measurement standard
Reading the outline

Round

Length and width appear close, with fullness around the cheeks and a softly curved jaw. The outline has gentle transitions rather than sharp corners.

  • 01Similar length and width
  • 02Fuller cheek area
  • 03A curved jawline
A styling thought

A little height, a side part or face-framing layers can introduce a sense of length.

What is it easy to confuse with?

Compare it with square: similar length and width alone cannot separate them. Look at the turn near the jaw. A rounded transition suggests round; a distinct corner suggests square. A round outline does not tell you someone’s weight.

FIG. 03An illustration, not a measurement standard
Reading the outline

Square

The forehead and jaw have a similar width, with a more defined turn at the jaw. Strong horizontal lines give the outline a clear, structured character.

  • 01Similar forehead and jaw width
  • 02A defined jaw angle
  • 03Clear horizontal lines
A styling thought

Soft waves and movement can complement the jaw. A clean crop can also make its definition a feature.

What is it easy to confuse with?

Compare it with round: check the jaw corners rather than cheek fullness. Compare it with oblong as well: a face can have a square jaw and still look long. You can describe both features instead of forcing one label.

FIG. 04An illustration, not a measurement standard
Reading the outline

Heart

A broader upper face narrows toward the jaw and chin. The contrast between the forehead and lower face gives this outline its characteristic taper.

  • 01Broader upper face
  • 02A narrower lower jaw
  • 03A gently tapered chin
A styling thought

Movement around the chin and soft fringe can create balance between the upper and lower face.

What is it easy to confuse with?

Compare it with diamond: where is the widest area? In a heart-shaped outline it is higher, around the forehead or upper face. In a diamond outline the cheekbones stand out more. A pointed chin alone is not enough to decide.

FIG. 05An illustration, not a measurement standard
Reading the outline

Diamond

The cheekbones are the widest part of the face, with a narrower forehead and jaw. The outline opens at the middle and tapers toward both ends.

  • 01Cheekbones form the widest point
  • 02A narrower forehead
  • 03A tapered jaw and chin
A styling thought

A soft fringe or chin-length layers can add movement around the narrower parts of the face.

What is it easy to confuse with?

Check that both the forehead and jaw look narrower than the cheekbones. Lighting can make cheekbones seem more prominent, so compare another front-facing photo. The guide includes diamond for styling; AuraFace’s current classifier does not output a separate diamond label.

FIG. 06An illustration, not a measurement standard
Reading the outline

Oblong

Length is more pronounced than width. The forehead, cheeks and jaw often have a similar width, creating an elongated, gently rounded outline.

  • 01Length is more pronounced
  • 02Similar width through the face
  • 03An elongated outline
A styling thought

Fringe, waves and moderate volume at the sides can bring more width into the silhouette.

What is it easy to confuse with?

Compare it with oval by looking at length first. A tall hairstyle or a camera tilted above or below the face can change your impression, so inspect the face without including the hair. The jaw can be rounded or angular.

What if two categories both fit?

That is common. Categories put names on outlines that vary continuously, so there will be overlap. Keep both descriptions and decide which feature actually matters to your next styling choice.

For a long face with angular jaw corners, fringe and some width at the sides are options if you want less emphasis on length. A short cut that exposes the jaw is another option if you like its definition. These serve different preferences; you do not need a single perfect label first.

Why might your report use a different label?

AuraFace uses three landmark-based ratios: face height to width, jaw to cheek width, and temple to cheek width. It checks oblong, heart, square and round in a fixed order, with oval as the remaining category for usable measurements. It has no separate diamond category and does not interpret your hairstyle or appearance in motion.

An oval result can therefore mean that none of the other classification conditions applied. The label is not an input to your composite score. Read the measurements and photo feedback first, then use the category to look up styling options.

Choose a haircut by outlineSee what the system measures

Classifier source: AuraFace face-shape.ts. The outlines on this page are illustrations.